


in which Peridot is Not At All Surprised by the sudden appearance of a new waiter

by gaySpaceRock_exe (TheElementHero)



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Restaurant, F/F, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-05
Updated: 2015-05-05
Packaged: 2018-03-29 05:27:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,787
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3884098
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheElementHero/pseuds/gaySpaceRock_exe
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Peridot meets the new waiter at her regular restaurant and immediately falls head-first in love. Lapidot oneshot.</p>
            </blockquote>





	in which Peridot is Not At All Surprised by the sudden appearance of a new waiter

Peridot doesn’t even bother to look up from her tablet as the sound of the waitress’ footsteps draw nearer; she’s a regular customer and they’re used to her by now. The footsteps stop at her right (she can hear their shoes scuff the leg of the table, but she holds her tongue) and a female voice clears her throat.

“Um, hi! What can I get you?”

Flicking her finger, Peridot waves one hand distractedly in the air. “The usual.”

The waitress pauses, and hesitantly says, “Sorry, I’m new here, so I don’t really know what that is…”

Peridot sighs, pinches the bridge of her nose, and says in a slightly annoyed tone, “It’s the number three sandwich combo with an iced coffee, extra shot of caffeine. No tomato on the sandwich, and with fries.”

She can hear the waitress frantically scratching the pen across the paper, and a few seconds later gets a faint, “I’m sorry, what did you want it with?”

“I _said_ ,” Peridot begins, spinning around to face the girl, “I wanted it with fri- oh.”

As she looks up Peridot comes face to face with the most beautiful girl she’s seen, at least in her opinion. She almost seems to radiate beauty, from the blue streaks in her hair and her dark skin, from her delicate, slender hands clutching the paper, from blue eyes so deep they’re almost black and Peridot realises she’s been staring and hasn’t heard a word the waitress has said.

“H-huh? Uh, yeah, sure.” One hand goes to her glasses and the other to the fringe of her shirt (why did she wear the same one as yesterday?) as she forces what she hopes is a winning smile. “Th-thanks, uh…” A quick peek to her name tag and Peridot’s saying, “Thanks, Lapis.”

As Lapis gives her one last confused stare and heads back to the kitchen, Peridot could have sworn she sees a faint tinge of colour on the other girl’s cheeks.

She’s imagining it.

Right?

* * *

 

The next day Peridot is back again, this time making sure she’s wearing a clean shirt. She purposely sits in the same seat as last time, in the far back by the window, just in case she gets Lapis again. For some reason the girl has been on her mind and Peridot is very, _very_ confused as to why she can’t stop thinking about the waitress.

She’s so lost in thought that when someone taps her on her shoulder she yelps, sending her tablet to the table with a thud.

After making sure the device is fine, Peridot whips around, ready to have a few words with whoever made her drop it - and comes face to face with Lapis. Again.

“Hello.” Lapis is clearly nervous, one of her hands squeezing the folds of her skirt. “I’m so sorry about that, I just couldn’t seem to get your attention and-”

“No, it’s fine.” Peridot winces as she hears her voice break on the last word, and hurriedly adds, “The same as yesterday, please. And, uh…” She wracks her brain to think of something to say, blurting out, “I like your hair!”

Lapis smiles, some of the nervousness gone, and twirls some of it around her finger hesitantly. “T-thanks. I did it myself...”

The dye was clearly an do-it-yourself job, with parts a darker blue and some of her black hair not blue at all, but to Peridot it’s perfect, perfect hair for the perfect girl.

Before she can stop herself Peridot absentmindedly comments, “It looks beautiful,” eyes widening the moment she realises what she’s said. “Ah, sorry! I-I didn’t mean to-”

And Lapis laughs, gentle and high, cheeks slightly darker than before. Peridot gives her own awkward chuckle, and for that single moment her chest feels light and her body feels like it could just lift off and fly away.

* * *

 

The third day it pours, raindrops streaming down from the sky like bullets. By the time she gets inside Peridot is soaked to the bone, glasses fogged up and clothes drenched. She’s not cold though, because even the thought of seeing Lapis again sends a strange warmth rushing around her body, and though she doesn’t know exactly what it is she _enjoys_ it.

It feels right.

She sits in the exact same spot and rests her tablet on the table, wiping her glasses with the hem of her shirt. It doesn’t help much, seeing how both articles look like they’ve gone for a trip in the ocean, but it makes them a little easier to see through.

When Lapis catches sight of Peridot, waterlogged and hair sticking up at every angle, she can’t stop the bubble of laughter rising to her lips, especially when Peridot’s frown deepens into a pout. She giggles as she writes down the order, pen shaking slightly from her own titters.

Peridot, though thoroughly embarrassed and _still_ drenched, manages to whine, “It’s not _funny_!”

Lapis tilts her head, still smiling, and with one hand pulls at the soggy sleeve of Peridot’s shirt. “I have to disagree.”

This is one disagreement Peridot will stand, because when Lapis’s hand makes contact with her shoulder her heart’s flying again for that strange, mysterious reason, and she hopes that she never has to touch down to earth again.

* * *

 

On the fourth day Peridot learns about love.

She never had much experience in the subject before Lapis, so as she takes the last steps to the restaurant two at a time and places her palm on the handle of the door, her next thought comes as a surprise.

_I’m in love with Lapis._

She stands there frozen for a second, fingers still pressed against the handle and eyes distant behind their thick frames.

_I’m in love with Lapis and I_ just _realized it._

Someone clears their throat behind her, and she to pull the door open, flashing the disgruntled patron behind her a sheepish smile. She still feels shocked, though, as she heads towards her usual seat, _because that’s what that feeling was_ and _I’m such an idiot_ are the two thoughts running circles around her head.

Lapis comes out to meet her almost immediately, not even bothering to to take out her notebook. “The usual?” she asks, bending slightly to look Peridot in the eyes.

“U-uh. Yeah.” Peridot tries to keep her voice even ( _why_ does it keep breaking whenever she speaks to Lapis) and maintains eye contact for a good two seconds. “Thanks.”

When the waitress returns ten minutes later with her sandwich and her drink it’s only then that Peridot realises she hasn’t told Lapis her name.

* * *

 

When the fifth day comes it's Saturday, and Peridot wears her best jeans and runs a comb through her wayward hair because she knows the café is closed the next day and that means Lapis has the day off.

She also brings flowers.

She spent the night pacing and researching and running every scenario of the day through her head in hopes to find the perfect one where she manages to speak clearly and look Lapis in the eyes and not fall into an awkward, lovesick mess.

There weren't many results with these options, if any.

But she still straightens her glasses (she really needs to get a pair that won't slide down her nose) and opens the door, ready to move to her regular seat and spend a few anxious minutes waiting for Lapis to come out to meet her.

Peridot makes it halfway to the table before she realizes Lapis is already waiting for her. She manages to hide the lavender roses behind her back before their eyes meet, and she prays that Lapis didn’t see them.

“Hey, you,” Lapis says, smiling a little more than usual. “I already sent your order to the kitchen, because I figured you’d be here today, like usual.”

“Oh, uh, t-thank you!” Peridot slips as she pulls out her own chair, keeping the flowers pinned between her back and the chair as she stumbles down. “But, uh, what if I didn’t come? Not that I wouldn’t!”

“Then I’d buy the order myself, I guess.” Lapis’s fingers intertwine and fold as she speaks, making little patterns when they interlock. Her hands are slender and smooth, unlike Peridot’s own rough hands with bitten nails and bandaged papercuts.

They sit in awkward silence for a second, until Peridot breaks it by mumbling, “Are you allowed to be sitting here? I-I mean, not that I don’t want you here, of course I want you here! I like talking with you, it’s really great that-”

Lapis cuts her off with a short chuckle. “There aren’t any other customers yet, so I can take all the time I want.”

Peridot flushes as she looks around as sees that yes, the restaurant is empty aside from her, Lapis, and the people in the kitchen. “A-ah.”

“Soooo…” Lapis leans to the side, trying to peek around Peridot’s shoulder. “What’s that you’ve got behind you?”

Panic rises in her chest as she realises that _yes, Lapis saw,_ and that she was expected to explain the flowers somehow. The day was not going according to any of Peridot’s plans, even the worst ones, and she desperately tries to think of someone to fix the situation, all too aware of Lapis’s expectant eyes on her.

“U-um…” She tries to find some plan, some schedule to work around, some words to say, but nothing comes and her mind goes blank, palms sweaty and heart pounding in her chest.

Finally, she scrunches her eyes shut and clenches her fist around the flowers, stammering, “H-here!” and thrusting the roses and attached card across the table to the other girl.

Lapis takes the gift and stares for a second, before unpinning the card the reading it silently. Peridot knows what it says by heart, because it took her so many tries to get it worded perfectly.

_Would you like to go on a date with me tomorrow? I think you’re wonderful and want to get to know you better._

_-Peridot_

There’s silence for another beat, and Peridot still has her eyes shut tight because she knows her cheeks are flaming and she can’t bear to look Lapis in the eyes.

“Peridot,” she hears, the word rolling off Lapis’s tongue like quicksilver. “That’s a wonderful name, you know.”

_Does that mean…?_

She hears Lapis push her chair back, hears her footsteps pad across the floor towards her, and feels the warmth of her hand on her cheek. She opens her eyes just in time to see Lapis looking back at her with nothing but admiration and joy.

“Of course.”

Peridot leans in to press their lips together, and to her delight, Lapis kisses back.

 

**Author's Note:**

> this was originally posted on my tumblr but im putting it here to start off my new account lmao


End file.
